The Patriots’ patchwork offensive line plan caught up to them

The Patriots just learned the hard way that you can't piece together an offensive line on the fly and expect to win a championship.

Granted, maybe they didn't exactly expect to even get to the Super Bowl after last off-season. But once they got up on a stage screaming about warriors, they must have believed.

Instead, Drake Maye suffered the same fate as Tom Brady against the Giants, Patrick Mahomes against the Bucs, and Joe Burrow against the Rams on football's biggest stage Sunday night. The Seahawks defensive front overwhelmed the offense with pressure, and Maye eventually cracked under it. In actuality, it was more like a loud shatter. Maye continued to miss open receivers even when he had time to throw in the third quarter, then finally started turning the ball over, which proved fatal for the Pats' Super Bowl chances. There's no question that Maye didn't make enough plays in his limited opportunities to do so, and needs to be better.

But every quarterback needs at least decent protection up front. He needs coaches and personnel around him that can adjust when things aren't going well. And he needs at least one weapon that he can consistently rely on to separate and come up with big plays. The Patriots didn't have any of those things against the Seahawks, the kind of struggles that not even the greatest to ever lace up can overcome by themselves all the way to the Lombardi Trophy.

The discussion around Maye could get silly in the coming days and weeks, as Patriots fans and media cope and search for solace. But Maye is, without question, their long-term franchise quarterback, after emerging as an elite NFL passer in an MVP-caliber regular season. Despite his percolating issues with ball security and decision-making—which helped cost the Patriots this Super Bowl and make you wonder about what kind of player he will be in big games—he's their guy.

For the Patriots, the real problems begin up front. Left tackle Will Campbell allowed at least eight total pressures (if you go by Pro Football Focus) and up to 14 if you go by Next Gen Stats. Per PFF, center Garrett Bradbury allowed six pressures, guards Jared Wilson and Mike Onwenu allowed four each, and right tackle Morgan Moses allowed three. The Seahawks' fast, deep, well-coached defensive front is an absolute machine, arguably the most ruthless combination of talent and coaching ever seen in a Super Bowl. But that mismatch utterly exposed the Patriots' flimsy, piecemeal approach to retooling their offensive line last off-season. Finally, at the end of the road, that plan blew up in their face.

The Pats drafted Campbell and immediately made him their starting left tackle out of sheer necessity, after striking out on impact free agents or potential trades. Wilson, a center in college, emerged as the default option at left guard because they made no meaningful additions and initially tried Cole Strange for one more year. Right tackle Morgan Moses, while playing all 17 games and delivering a solid overall season while being a respected veteran leader, is 34 years old and not a long-term answer.

It took until the Super Bowl for the Patriots to find out, but it's clear now that a plan like that isn't even close to good enough.

The Patriots have very little in the way of answers, in general. Campbell and Wilson don't lack talent or upside, but it's possible they were both playing out of position and need to move spots. Wilson could still be the center of the future, but Bradbury is under contract, and moving on from him after a surprisingly good season would add risk to an already-risky situation. Campbell has been discussed since before he was even drafted as potentially needing to move to guard, due to his lack of prototypical arm length and wingspan for NFL tackles. So, at least one position needs a real upgrade at a minimum, and that's assuming Campbell and Wilson naturally improve by sliding over one spot. No more Band-Aids. Legitimate reinforcements.

Also concerning is that the Patriots' blocking problems don't stop at the line. They also need at least one more effective blocker at tight end. Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper can make plays as pass-catchers, but they aren't dependable blockers, despite their willingness to try. If offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' history is any indication, the Patriots could also use a legitimate fullback to function as the lead blocker on their gap runs. And in an ideal world, running back TreVeyon Henderson realizes his big potential as a pass-protector in his sophomore season.

That's a lot of work to do, but the latter roles are certainly easier to fill than, say, left tackle. If the Patriots decide to stay the course and give Campbell one more year on the blind side, then they probably need a legitimate left guard, and move Wilson to his natural position at center. Parking a smart, experienced LG between the two kids could have both tangible and intangible benefits. If Campbell can come back healthy and motivated, and clean up some apparent technique issues, maybe he can reach a serviceable level of left tackle play. At that point, he would only be worth replacing at left tackle if you're upgrading with an impact starter. And again, those aren't easy to find, even in the draft, and teams aren't exactly lining up to give those away in trades.

It all adds up to an off-season suddenly fraught with critical questions both in the short-term and long-term. But there's nothing more imperative to fix as soon as possible than Maye's protection, because no NFL offense can function looking the way they did Sunday night.